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Light on the liberating character of grace — a term common to our speech but commonly greatly under-appreciated.
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But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:4-8
The Nature of Grace
1. Grace is the Father acting freely, according to His own nature as Love; with no promises or obligations to fulfill; and acting, of course, righteously—in view of the Cross.
2. Grace, therefore, is uncaused in the recipient: its cause lies wholly in the giver, in the Father.
3. Grace is also sovereign. Not having debts to pay, or fulfilled conditions on man’s part to wait for, it can act toward whom, and how, it pleases. It can, and does, often, place the worst deservers in the highest favors.
4. Grace cannot act where there is either desert or ability: Grace does not help—it is absolute—it does all.
5. There being no cause in the creature why Grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His grace.
6. The discovery by the creature that he is truly the object of Divine grace, works the utmost humility: for the receiver of grace is brought to know his own absolute unworthiness, and his complete inability to attain worthiness: yet he finds himself blessed—on another principle, outside of himself!
7. Therefore, flesh has no place in the plan of Grace. This is the great reason why Grace is hated by the proud natural mind of man. But for this very reason, the true believer rejoices! For he knows that in him, that is, in his flesh, is “no good thing;” and yet he finds the Father glad to bless him, just as he is!
The Place of Man Under Grace
1. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing.
2. He is not “on probation.”
3. As to his life past, it does not exist before the Father: he died in Christ on the Cross, and now Christ is his Life.
4. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn: for the Father knew all the human exigencies beforehand—His action was independent of them, not dependent upon them.
5. The failure of devotion does not cause the withdrawal of bestowed grace (as it would under law). For example: the man in 1 Corinthians 5:1–5 and also those in 11:30–32, who did not “judge” themselves and so were “judged by the Lord”—that they might not be “condemned with the world.”
The Proper Attitude of a Man Under Grace
1. To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.
2. To refuse to make “resolutions” and “vows”; for that is to trust in the flesh.
3. To expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth.
4. To testify of the Father’s goodness, at all times.
5. To be certain of the Father’s future favor; yet to be ever more tender in conscience toward Him.
6. To rely on the Father’s chastening (child-training) hand as a mark of His kindness.
7. A man under Grace, if like Paul, has no burdens regarding himself; but many about others.
Things Which Gracious Souls Discover
1. To “hope to be better” is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.
2. To be disappointed with yourself is to have believed in yourself.
3. To be discouraged is unbelief—as to the Father’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.
4. To be proud is to be blind! For we have no standing before God, in ourselves.
5. The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, and not from failure of devotion.
6. Real devotion to the Father arises, not from man’s will to show it; but from the discovery that blessing has been received from Him while we were yet unworthy and undevoted.
7. To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order and to preach Law, not Grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion. Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing. Our devotion may follow, but does not always do so—in proper measure.
Extracted from Romans, Verse by Verse, by W. R. Newell, published by Kregel Publications
I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
1 Peter 5:12